The Washington Civil Case Cover Sheet is a one-page intake form that every plaintiff or petitioner must file with the Superior Court clerk at the same time they file a new civil case in Washington State. The sheet tells the court what kind of case you are filing, which case schedule applies, and how the clerk should code the matter in the statewide Odyssey case management system. The form is published by the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) under General Rule GR 31 and is required by CR 3.
According to the Washington Courts Caseload Reports, Superior Courts statewide receive more than 220,000 new civil filings each year, and county clerks reject or reroute a meaningful slice of those filings because the cover sheet’s case designation code does not match the complaint. A wrong code can delay your case by days, push it onto the wrong case schedule, or cost you a filing fee when the clerk forces a re-file.
Here is what this guide covers:
- 📝 How to choose the right Major and Minor case designation codes without guessing
- 📅 How the cover sheet sets your case schedule and triggers the 350-day clock under LCR 4
- 💵 The current filing fees, payment methods, and the exact line items the clerk charges
- 📬 Every filing channel — eFile, in-person, and mail — with URLs, fees, and proof-of-filing tips
- ⚠️ The ten mistakes that get cover sheets rejected, and how to avoid each one
What the Washington Civil Case Cover Sheet Is and Who Must File It
The Washington Civil Case Cover Sheet is the cover document that the Superior Court clerk staples to the front of every new civil case file. It identifies the parties, the case category, the attorney of record, and the relief sought. The clerk uses the case category to assign the case to the correct judicial department, the correct case schedule, and the correct statistical reporting bucket required by the Judicial Information System (JIS).
Every person who files a new civil action in a Washington Superior Court must file the cover sheet. That includes plaintiffs in tort and contract suits, petitioners in family law and probate matters, landlords filing unlawful detainers, and pro se filers asking for name changes. The duty comes from GR 31(e) and is repeated in most local rules, including King County LCR 4 and Pierce County LCR 4.
The cover sheet does not start the case. The Summons and Complaint do that. But the clerk will refuse to stamp the Complaint until the cover sheet is filled out, signed, and paid for. A missing or blank cover sheet is one of the most common reasons a new filing bounces back, especially when filed through the Odyssey eFile & Serve portal.
The current statewide form is AOC form CICS (Civil Case Information Cover Sheet), revised September 2023. Many counties also require a local supplemental cover sheet — King County uses the Case Assignment Area Form, Pierce County uses a Case Information Cover Sheet of its own, and Snohomish County requires a Confirmation of Joinder/Issues form for certain case types.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Before you open the cover sheet, gather every piece of information the form asks for. Filling it out from memory is the single biggest cause of typos, mismatched names, and wrong case codes. The pre-filing checklist below is the same one experienced legal assistants run before they touch the keyboard.
- The drafted Summons and Complaint. The cover sheet must match the caption and the relief requested in the Complaint exactly. If the Complaint asks for damages under RCW 4.16, the cover sheet’s case code must match that theory.
- Full legal names and addresses of every party. Use the names as they appear on a driver’s license, business license, or Secretary of State filing. A mismatch between the cover sheet and the Complaint creates a clerical conflict that takes weeks to unwind.
- The Washington State Bar number of every attorney signing the case. Pro se filers leave this field blank and write Pro Se instead.
- The correct case designation code from the AOC’s Case Type and Cause of Action Codes list. Print this list and circle the code you plan to use before you start.
- The filing fee or a fee waiver application. Standard civil filings cost $240 under RCW 36.18.020. Unlawful detainers cost $45, name changes $59.50, and dissolutions $314. If you cannot pay, prepare a Motion and Declaration for Waiver of Civil Fees.
- The county where venue is proper under RCW 4.12.020. Filing in the wrong county forces a transfer motion and pushes your schedule back.
- Any prior case numbers between the same parties. The cover sheet has a “Related Case” line, and missing this triggers a duplicate-case audit.
- Your service plan. The clerk does not ask, but you must be ready to serve the Summons within 90 days under CR 3(a). Knowing your plan now prevents a tolling problem later.
If you are filing through Odyssey, you also need an active Tyler Technologies account, a saved payment method, and a PDF copy of every document under 25 MB.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The official statewide form lives on the Washington Courts Forms page. Search for “Civil Case Information Cover Sheet” or use form ID CICS. The page offers the form in fillable PDF, Word, and a print-ready PDF. Always download the form fresh — older saved copies may use retired case codes that the clerk will reject.
County variants live on each Superior Court’s website. King County’s Civil Forms page hosts the Case Assignment Area Form. Pierce County’s Forms library hosts its local cover sheet. Snohomish County’s Clerk’s Office forms hosts the local supplement. Spokane County’s Superior Court forms page hosts a county-specific intake sheet that must be filed alongside the AOC form.
If you eFile through Odyssey eFile & Serve, the portal generates the cover sheet data from the case initiation screen, but you still must upload the signed PDF. The portal does not replace the form — it just collects the same data twice. That redundancy is intentional and is mandated by GR 30.
Self-represented filers can also pick up a printed copy at any Superior Court Clerk’s counter. The Washington LawHelp site links to plain-language guides for the most common case types and includes printable cover sheets pre-marked for unlawful detainer, dissolution, and name change cases.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the Washington Civil Case Cover Sheet Line by Line
The cover sheet has eight numbered sections plus a signature block. Each one looks simple. Each one has at least one trap. Work through them in order, and do not skip the optional fields — clerks treat blanks as errors when the information was reasonably available.
Section 1: Superior Court of Washington, County of ____
What the field asks in plain English. This field asks which county Superior Court you are filing in.
How to answer it. Type the county name in all caps with no abbreviations. KING, not King Co. or K.C.
A specific example answer. Maria Lopez is suing a landlord in Tacoma, so she writes PIERCE.
A nuance or edge case. Venue is governed by RCW 4.12.020, and for a tort case venue is proper either where the cause of action arose or where the defendant resides. If both work, pick the county whose case schedule and local rules favor you.
A common mistake and consequence. Filers who write the county where they live instead of the county where venue is proper trigger a motion to transfer under CR 82. The transfer can add 30 to 60 days and a new filing fee.
A misconception about this field. Many pro se filers think they can sue anywhere in Washington. They cannot. Venue is jurisdictional in practical terms, and the wrong county is grounds for transfer or dismissal.
Section 2: Case Caption (Plaintiff/Petitioner v. Defendant/Respondent)
What the field asks in plain English. This is the case title — who is suing whom.
How to answer it. Write the full legal name of every plaintiff on the left, the word vs. in the middle, and the full legal name of every defendant on the right. Use a continuation page if you have more than two parties on either side.
A specific example answer. MARIA LOPEZ, an individual, Plaintiff, vs. SUNRISE PROPERTIES LLC, a Washington limited liability company, Defendant.
A nuance or edge case. When you sue a business, look up the exact entity name on the Washington Secretary of State Corporations Search and copy it character-for-character, including the LLC, Inc., or PLLC suffix.
A common mistake and consequence. Filers who use a “doing business as” name instead of the registered entity name often have their judgments unenforceable because the named defendant does not legally exist. The fix is an amended complaint and re-service.
A misconception about this field. Filers think the caption can be cleaned up later. It can be amended under CR 15, but only with leave of court once a responsive pleading is filed.
Section 3: Case Number
What the field asks in plain English. The unique number the clerk will assign to your case.
How to answer it. Leave it blank. The clerk fills this in when the case is filed. If you are eFiling, Odyssey generates the number after the clerk reviews and accepts the filing.
A specific example answer. Carlos Nguyen leaves this field blank, and the clerk later stamps it 26-2-04417-1 KNT.
A nuance or edge case. When you refile a case that was previously dismissed without prejudice under CR 41, write the prior case number on the Related Case line in Section 8, not here.
A common mistake and consequence. Filers who write a placeholder like TBD or N/A in this box force the clerk to white it out, which sometimes triggers a rejection notice in eFiling.
A misconception about this field. Filers believe the case number is sequential statewide. It is not — each county runs its own numbering system, and the format is year-type-number-court.
Section 4: Case Assignment Area (King County and Select Counties Only)
What the field asks in plain English. Whether the case should be heard in Seattle or Kent (King County), or in the equivalent court divisions in other counties.
How to answer it. In King County, write SEA or KNT based on the Case Assignment Area Rule LCR 82. Cases involving zip codes south of I-90 generally go to Kent; cases north go to Seattle.
A specific example answer. Janet Kim’s slip-and-fall happened at a grocery store in Kent (zip 98032), so she writes KNT.
A nuance or edge case. Family law cases follow the residence of the petitioner. Probate follows the decedent’s residence. Unlawful detainers follow the property location.
A common mistake and consequence. Filers who guess between SEA and KNT often end up transferred under LCR 82(e), which delays the first case schedule by up to 14 days.
A misconception about this field. Filers think the assignment area is a venue choice. It is not. It is a docket assignment, and the rule is mechanical, not strategic.
Section 5: Case Designation — Major Category and Minor Category Codes
What the field asks in plain English. What kind of case you are filing, picked from a master list of three-letter codes.
How to answer it. Pick one Major Category (e.g., Tort, Contract/Commercial, Domestic Relations, Probate, Property Rights, Other Civil) and one Minor Category (e.g., Tort Motor Vehicle (TMV), Tort Other (TTO), Commercial (COM), Collection (COL), Unlawful Detainer (UND)) from the Case Type and Cause of Action Codes list.
A specific example answer. Marcus Brown was rear-ended on I-5 and is suing the other driver, so he marks Tort as the Major Category and TMV (Tort Motor Vehicle) as the Minor Category.
A nuance or edge case. Mixed-theory cases — say, a contract case that also pleads fraud — should be coded by the primary theory of recovery and the largest damage element. A breach-of-contract case with a fraud count is usually coded COM, not TTO.
A common mistake and consequence. Filers confuse COL (Collection) with COM (Commercial). Collection is for liquidated debts being chased post-default; Commercial is for live business disputes. Picking COL when the case is really COM puts your case on a fast collection track that requires earlier disclosures.
A misconception about this field. Filers believe the code can be changed informally later. It can, but only by motion to reassign under local rule, which costs time and sometimes a fee.
Section 6: Relief Requested
What the field asks in plain English. What you want the court to do — money damages, injunction, declaratory relief, dissolution of marriage, etc.
How to answer it. Check every box that applies, and add a one-line description if the form has a free-text field. Money damages in excess of $10,000, plus attorney fees and costs.
A specific example answer. Aisha Patel checks Monetary Damages and writes $45,000 plus statutory attorney fees under RCW 19.86.
A nuance or edge case. If you are asking for both legal and equitable relief, check both boxes. Omitting equitable relief here does not waive it under CR 8, but it does signal the clerk to use a different case schedule.
A common mistake and consequence. Filers who check only Monetary Damages in a case that also needs an injunction often miss the expedited TRO calendar, and the case sits in the standard 350-day track.
A misconception about this field. Filers think this box limits their recovery. It does not. The Complaint’s prayer for relief controls, not the cover sheet.
Section 7: Jury Demand
What the field asks in plain English. Whether you are demanding a jury trial.
How to answer it. Check Yes or No. If you check Yes, you must also file a separate Jury Demand and pay the $250 jury fee under RCW 36.18.016(3)(b) within the deadline set by CR 38.
A specific example answer. Carlos Nguyen, suing for personal injury, checks Yes and pays the jury fee at filing to lock in his right.
A nuance or edge case. Equitable claims (injunctions, specific performance, dissolution) do not get a jury. Checking Yes on a purely equitable case wastes the fee and does not create a jury right.
A common mistake and consequence. Filers who check No and later change their minds must move for leave under CR 38(d), which is granted sparingly. Loss of the jury right is one of the most painful unforced errors in civil practice.
A misconception about this field. Filers think the demand can be made any time before trial. The deadline is 14 days after the last pleading directed to the issue, and missing it forfeits the right.
Section 8: Related Cases
What the field asks in plain English. Whether any other pending or closed case involves the same parties or facts.
How to answer it. List every case number, county, and case type. King County 24-3-01234-5 KNT, Dissolution, closed 2024.
A specific example answer. Janet Kim lists her prior dissolution case because her new modification petition is related.
A nuance or edge case. “Related” includes federal cases, bankruptcy filings, and out-of-state cases that touch the same parties or property. When in doubt, list it.
A common mistake and consequence. Filers omit prior cases hoping for a fresh judge. The clerk catches the omission during JIS cross-check and reassigns the case to the prior judge anyway, sometimes with a stern minute order.
A misconception about this field. Filers think closed cases do not count. They do, especially for purposes of preclusion analysis and judge assignment.
Section 9: Attorney/Party Signature Block
What the field asks in plain English. The signature, printed name, WSBA number, and contact information of the person filing.
How to answer it. Sign in blue or black ink, print your full name, add your WSBA number (or Pro Se), your address, phone, and email. eFilers may use the /s/ Name convention authorized by GR 30(d).
A specific example answer. Marcus Brown, Pro Se, 1422 NE 65th St, Seattle, WA 98115, (206) 555-0142, marcus.brown@email.com.
A nuance or edge case. Attorneys who are admitted pro hac vice must include their order number and the sponsoring local counsel’s WSBA number.
A common mistake and consequence. Unsigned cover sheets are rejected on intake, even when the Complaint is signed. The clerk treats the cover sheet as its own filing under GR 31.
A misconception about this field. Filers think a typed name is enough. For paper filings, it is not. A wet signature is still required unless the court has adopted a local rule allowing typed signatures.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Scenario 1: Maria Lopez, Pro Se Plaintiff, Personal Injury Case in Pierce County
Maria was rear-ended at a stoplight in Tacoma and is suing the driver for medical bills and lost wages.
| Form Section | What Maria Enters |
|---|---|
| County | PIERCE |
| Case Caption | MARIA LOPEZ, Plaintiff, vs. JAMES DOE, Defendant |
| Case Number | (left blank for clerk) |
| Case Assignment Area | (Pierce County does not use SEA/KNT; left blank) |
| Major Category | Tort |
| Minor Category | TMV — Tort Motor Vehicle |
| Relief Requested | Monetary damages in excess of $10,000 |
| Jury Demand | Yes |
| Related Cases | None |
| Signature | Maria Lopez, Pro Se |
Scenario 2: Carlos Nguyen, Paralegal Filing a Commercial Contract Dispute in King County
Carlos works at a Seattle firm and is filing a breach-of-contract case for a software vendor against a corporate customer who stopped paying.
| Form Section | What Carlos Enters |
|---|---|
| County | KING |
| Case Caption | BLUEPEAK SOFTWARE INC., Plaintiff, vs. NORTHWIND LOGISTICS LLC, Defendant |
| Case Number | (left blank) |
| Case Assignment Area | SEA (defendant’s principal place of business is Seattle) |
| Major Category | Contract/Commercial |
| Minor Category | COM — Commercial |
| Relief Requested | Monetary damages, prejudgment interest, attorney fees |
| Jury Demand | Yes |
| Related Cases | None |
| Signature | /s/ Diana Park, WSBA #54321, attorney for plaintiff |
Scenario 3: Janet Kim, Landlord Filing an Unlawful Detainer in Snohomish County
Janet owns a duplex in Everett and is evicting a tenant who is 60 days behind on rent after proper 14-day notice under the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act.
| Form Section | What Janet Enters |
|---|---|
| County | SNOHOMISH |
| Case Caption | JANET KIM, Plaintiff, vs. ROBERT FIELDS and JANE DOE FIELDS, Defendants |
| Case Number | (left blank) |
| Case Assignment Area | (Snohomish does not use SEA/KNT) |
| Major Category | Property Rights |
| Minor Category | UND — Unlawful Detainer |
| Relief Requested | Restitution of premises, monetary damages, attorney fees |
| Jury Demand | No |
| Related Cases | None |
| Signature | Janet Kim, Pro Se |
Aisha Patel, a fourth filer, is a small-business owner filing a consumer protection case under RCW 19.86 — she codes hers Other Civil/COA. Marcus Brown, a fifth filer, is petitioning for a name change and codes his Other Civil/CHN.
How to File the Completed Form
You can file in one of three ways. Each channel has different rules, fees, and proof-of-filing requirements. Pick the one that fits your timeline and budget.
Online via Odyssey eFile & Serve. Most Washington counties require electronic filing for attorneys and accept it from pro se filers. Create an account at wa-efile.tylertech.cloud, select your county, upload the Summons, Complaint, and Cover Sheet as separate PDFs, and pay by credit card or e-check. The standard civil filing fee is $240 under RCW 36.18.020, plus a roughly $5 Tyler convenience fee. Processing typically takes 1–3 business days. Your proof of filing is the Odyssey acceptance email with the stamped PDF attached — save it forever.
In person at the Superior Court Clerk’s counter. Bring two paper copies of every document and the cover sheet, plus a third copy for your own records. Pay by cash, check payable to the County Clerk, or credit card (most counties charge a 2.5% surcharge). The clerk stamps your copies and hands them back the same day. Your proof of filing is the date-stamped conformed copy.
By mail. Send the original signed documents, a check for the filing fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Clerk of the Superior Court of the county where you are filing. The King County Clerk’s mailing address is 516 Third Avenue, Room E-609, Seattle, WA 98104. Processing takes 5–10 business days. Your proof of filing is the conformed copy the clerk mails back. Mail filing is the slowest and the riskiest option because lost mail equals a lost filing date for statute-of-limitations purposes.
If you cannot pay the fee, file a Motion and Declaration for Waiver of Civil Fees and Surcharges at the same time as the cover sheet. The clerk will accept the filing conditionally pending the judge’s ruling.
What Happens After You File
After the clerk accepts the cover sheet and the Complaint, the case is assigned a number, a judge, and a case schedule. In King County, the case schedule sets every major deadline for the next 350 days, including the deadline for the Confirmation of Joinder, the discovery cutoff, the dispositive motion cutoff, and the trial date. You will receive the case schedule by email if you eFiled, or in the mail if you filed in paper.
Service of process must follow within 90 days of filing under CR 3(a) to relate the statute of limitations back to the filing date. If you miss the 90-day window, the filing date is treated as the service date for limitations purposes, which can be fatal in a case near the limitations edge.
The defendant has 20 days to respond (60 days if served outside Washington) under CR 12. If they do not respond, you can move for default. The cover sheet is not refiled at default — but it does come back into play if you amend the Complaint to add new claims that change the case category.
If the clerk later determines the case was miscoded on the cover sheet, the court will issue an order reassigning the case to the correct track. That can shorten or lengthen your schedule, sometimes dramatically.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Using the wrong county. The case gets transferred under CR 82, which costs time and sometimes a new filing fee.
- Picking the wrong Major/Minor case code. The clerk reassigns the case, often to a slower track, and may require an amended cover sheet.
- Confusing Collection (COL) with Commercial (COM). Collection cases run on a faster track and require earlier disclosures.
- Leaving the case number field with a placeholder. Odyssey may reject the filing for non-blank case numbers on initial filings.
- Forgetting to check the Jury Demand box and pay the $250 fee. The right to a jury is forfeited if not properly preserved.
- Skipping the Related Cases field. JIS catches the omission and triggers a reassignment, sometimes with sanctions.
- Using a DBA instead of the registered legal entity. Default judgments against a non-existent entity are unenforceable.
- Missing the wet signature on a paper-filed cover sheet. The clerk rejects the entire filing package.
- Using an outdated form revision. Old codes are rejected by the JIS system, forcing a re-file.
- Failing to attach the local supplemental cover sheet. In King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Spokane counties, the local form is mandatory and an omitted form means a same-day rejection.
- Misstating the relief amount. Listing under $10,000 routes the case to District Court jurisdiction, not Superior Court.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do download a fresh copy of the form from courts.wa.gov every time, because revisions happen quietly and old forms are rejected.
Do print the Case Type and Cause of Action Codes list and circle the code you plan to use before you start typing.
Do match the caption on the cover sheet exactly to the caption on the Complaint, because mismatches trigger clerical holds.
Do verify the registered business name through the Washington Secretary of State before naming a corporate defendant, because a wrong name kills enforceability.
Do save the Odyssey acceptance email and the stamped PDF in two separate locations, because that email is your only proof of timely filing.
Do include the WSBA number for every signing attorney, because missing numbers create a bar status conflict in JIS.
Don’t leave any field blank when the information is available, because clerks treat informed blanks as errors and uninformed blanks as sloppiness.
Don’t guess between SEA and KNT in King County — check the LCR 82 Case Assignment Area map first, because guessing costs two weeks.
Don’t file the cover sheet without the Summons and Complaint, because the clerk will not stamp a cover sheet alone.
Don’t rely on the Odyssey case-initiation screen to substitute for the form, because Odyssey requires both the data entry and the PDF upload.
Don’t sign electronically on a paper filing, because most clerks still require a wet signature on paper documents.
Don’t wait until the limitations deadline to file by mail, because mail processing takes 5–10 days and a lost envelope is a lost case.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Pros of filing pro se. You save the cost of an attorney, which for a simple civil case can run from $2,000 to $15,000 at filing. You learn your case file inside and out. You retain full control over strategy. You avoid the delay of finding and retaining counsel. You can use free resources at Washington LawHelp and the King County Law Library.
Cons of filing pro se. Pro se filers miscode the cover sheet at significantly higher rates than attorneys, which leads to rejected filings. You have no professional check on venue, capacity, or relief. You bear the full risk of missed deadlines under the case schedule. You may forfeit jury rights, attorney-fee claims, or counterclaim defenses by accident. You face the same court rules — CR, GR, and Local Rules — as represented parties, with no leniency.
Filing with help — a limited license legal technician successor program, a paralegal at a flat-fee filing service, or a full-service attorney — costs more but reduces the chance of a same-day rejection or a fatal coding error. The tradeoff is cash now versus risk later.
Statewide vs. King County Local Cover Sheet at a Glance
| Feature | Statewide AOC CICS | King County Supplement |
|---|---|---|
| Form ID | CICS | Case Assignment Area Form |
| Required statewide? | Yes | No — King County only |
| Case codes used | Statewide JIS codes | SEA / KNT assignment |
| Filed with | Summons and Complaint | Statewide CICS form |
| Revision date cited | September 2023 | Updated periodically by LCR |
| Hosted at | courts.wa.gov | kingcounty.gov |
Key Agencies, Courts, and Statutes That Interact With This Form
The Washington Administrative Office of the Courts publishes the form and maintains the JIS system that consumes its data. The Superior Court Clerks in each of Washington’s 39 counties accept the form and assign the case number. The Washington State Bar Association governs the attorneys who sign the form. The case is governed procedurally by the Civil Rules (CR), the General Rules (GR), and the local rules of the filing county.
The most important interacting statutes are RCW 36.18.020 (filing fees), RCW 4.12.020 (venue), RCW 4.16 (statutes of limitations), and RCW 59.18 (residential landlord-tenant). The Washington Supreme Court’s GR 31 is the rule that requires the cover sheet to exist in the first place and governs the public-access redactions that affect what goes on the sheet.
The Washington Supreme Court has held in Sprint Spectrum LP v. Department of Revenue and related decisions that miscoded civil filings do not lose their filing date so long as the Complaint is in fact filed and served, but lower courts continue to enforce the cover-sheet requirement strictly under their local rules.
FAQs
Do I have to file a Civil Case Cover Sheet for every new civil case in Washington Superior Court?
Yes. Every new civil case requires the cover sheet under GR 31 and the local rules of every Washington Superior Court. The clerk will not stamp the Complaint without it.
Can I file the cover sheet electronically through Odyssey?
Yes. The Odyssey eFile & Serve portal accepts the cover sheet as a PDF upload alongside the Summons and Complaint, and most Washington counties now require eFiling for attorneys.
Is the cover sheet the same as the Summons and Complaint?
No. The cover sheet is an intake document for the clerk’s records, while the Summons commands the defendant to appear and the Complaint states the claims. All three must be filed together.
Do I write my full legal name or just my first and last name in the caption?
Yes, use your full legal name as it appears on government identification, including middle name or initial if you use one in legal documents. Nicknames cause caption mismatches.
Which case code do I pick for a personal injury car accident?
Yes, use Tort as the Major Category and TMV — Tort Motor Vehicle as the Minor Category, taken from the AOC Case Type and Cause of Action Codes list.
Do I write SEA or KNT in the Case Assignment Area field for a King County case?
Yes, if and only if you are filing in King County. Use SEA for cases assigned to Seattle under LCR 82 and KNT for cases assigned to Kent based on the zip-code map.
Can I leave the Case Number field blank?
Yes. The clerk fills in the case number when the case is accepted for filing. Pro se filers should not write TBD or N/A — leave it truly blank.
Is the filing fee the same for every case type?
No. The standard civil filing fee is $240, but unlawful detainers are $45, name changes $59.50, dissolutions $314, and probate $240 plus surcharges under RCW 36.18.020.
Do I have to demand a jury on the cover sheet?
No, but checking the Jury Demand box and paying the $250 jury fee is the cleanest way to preserve the right. A separate Jury Demand may be filed under CR 38.
Can I file the cover sheet by mail?
Yes, but mail filing is the slowest channel and adds 5–10 business days. Send the original, a check for the fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the County Clerk.
Do I sign the cover sheet if I am pro se?
Yes. Pro se filers sign their own name, leave the WSBA number blank, and write Pro Se under the signature line along with their address, phone, and email.
Is the cover sheet public record?
Yes. Cover sheets are public under GR 31, subject to the redaction rules that apply to sensitive personal identifiers like full Social Security numbers and minor children’s full names.
Do I need to file a new cover sheet if I amend my Complaint?
No, unless the amendment changes the case category. Adding a new tort theory to a contract case may require an amended cover sheet to update the JIS coding.
Can I correct a coding error after the case is filed?
Yes, by filing a motion to reassign or an amended cover sheet under local rule. Most counties grant the motion without a hearing if the request is unopposed.
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